Jonathan's blog: "Respect"

Some things I have learned in Life.

Live each day to the fullest. I had a friend named Devin who was am incredible human being. He had been hit by a car when he was 5 or 6. Doctors didn't give him until his 7th birthday, but he surpassed that and died when he was 22. Every day that man had a smile on his face. He worked hard through disabilities and his body attacking him because he wanted to graduate high school. He and I both worked 50 hours a week my senior year and would walk the two miles home and talk outside in rom of our apartments until 1am. When he moved back to Anderson, we lost touch somewhat. We still talked on eth phone, but not liek what we use to. One christmas, my moteh cam e into town and we planned dinner, devin came in town and I begged him to come with us. For a christmas presant I was taking mom to get portraits done and after taking 16 pictures I convinced Devin to sit in with me the last four. teh first three he didn't smile, but a little joking and little of teh old us came out and they got one of teh best pucturesthat I have ever taken and teh same for Devin. we had dinner and I made sure when the pictures came back to  get him one. ^ months later he was gone. I didn't kno for over a month, because his parents could not find a number for me. But the picture thatthey used atthe funeral was our picture because "it wasteh only picture that they had of him smiling."He knew that someday he was coing to go, he made peace with that, and he made sure that everyone he ever came into conact with was a friend and that they knew how much he loved them. I miss your smile my friend "Saturday Night Spotlight" will shine on you always.

Love with everything you have. My grandfather passed away in 1979. My father moved to Denver in 1999 so I was the only man in my grandmothers life, and she was the sun in the sky in mine. She accepted my goatee at a foot long, she accepted that i worked at a bar, that I didn't believe in Jesus, that I I hadn't spoken to my own mother for over 3 years. But she was teh center of my world. Holidays consisted of Grandma Williams, work, calling the rest of teh family, and if I could at all possible just hide away until teh holidays were over. Every thanksgiving she made Lasagna, every christmas, Tacos. And every christmas she made cookies. 12 trays of cookies that hse took to family friends and friends of family. she even made cookies for my bar-lol. Christmas of 2003 she didn't make cookies. She was just to tired. She went into teh hospital february 3rda nd never came home. I was atthe hospital every day and teh nursing home when she could no longer stay at the hospital. I fought everyone, doctors, theripists, insurance, nurses, I would not let her stay there alone. I held her hand the day she passed. She waited for me to get ther, to say goodbye because she loved me so. She taught me taht when you have something taht you cherish, you even fight death until you know that tey will be ok, and she did. I have a plaque on my bedroom wall that I pass ever day I leave that says "Make your Grandmother proud today". A reminder to honor her by loving as she loved me